Conventional tables and other items bearing supportive trestle-type configurations, wherein a generally flat planar surface is supported by and spans two or more upright support structures, are typically composed of many joined elements. Although relatively light in weight, such items are often weak, providing insufficient strength and stability to withstand continued use and considerable weight loads.
Tables and other items that bear loads on their surfaces typically have at least one upright or vertical support that comprises a lower base for supporting the table on the ground and an upper platform on which a planar surface rests. Particularly in the context of vertical supports of wooden construction, the lower base and upper platform are connected to one another by a center portion. Both the lower base and upper platform at the ends of the vertical support typically incorporate an increased surface area relative to the center portion. The increased surface areas at the lower base and upper platform allow the forces associated with the weight of the table itself, as well as those of external items placed on a table, to spread across the larger surface area and help ease the tension and stress to any one given area. Despite these design efforts which are intended to provide long-lasting and increased durability and stability, conventional tables, support stands and the like may buckle or bend over time after prolonged normal use, causing them to wobble, progressively lean to one side, or collapse. Buckling or bending is typically the culprit in the vicinity of the upright support, while breaking of the planar surface typically occurs when its critical stress level is reached prior to that of the upright support.
In order to compensate for decreased strength to the vertical supports of tables and related structures, horizontal or diagonal brace elements may be disposed between the vertical supports. In the context of a conventional table, the horizontal and/or diagonal braces disposed between the uprights tend to interfere with a user's legs, thereby making it cumbersome to sit adjacent to the table in an optimal position. Another shortcoming is that with the addition of other supporting elements, additional costs tend to follow due to the increased labor and time needed to fabricate such items.